A Shocking Discovery (Closed to Isabella)

[not_a_maid]

Who: Marian and Isabella
What: A discovery
Where: Locksley/Just outside Locksley
When: Night, May 11th

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[elle_isabelle]

Isabella had lingered longer in Locksley than she'd meant to. After a visit to Guy, she'd stopped by the smithy to pick up something she'd had commissioned a few weeks earlier. She'd had to wait, though, watching carefully so Guy didn't see what she was doing. And now she was going to have to hurry if she were to get home before it got too dark to see

[not_a_maid]

Isabella bringing attention to them was the last thing she wanted. She could run easily without the guards seeing her if she found the right moment but what were the chances on Isabella staying quiet for long enough? She wasn't going to hurt her, she had no reason to and she knew what that would say about the Nightwatchman. The last thing she wanted was it getting around that she had hurt an innocent woman. It was different against guards or Guy. So she saw no other option.

Holding her finger to her covered lips in a signal for her to stay quiet, in case she exclaimed anything, she reached up to undo her mask. Now she really would find out if Isabella was trustworthy enough. She kept the mask in hand and lowered it slightly so Isabella could see her eyes. She didn't want to take her scarf from the rest of her mouth as well as her hood away from covering her just to ensure she would remain rather unseen.

"Do not speak too loud," she said quietly.

[elle_isabelle]

Isabella watched in confusion as the hooded figure signalled to her to be quiet and then . . . began to undo his mask?

Her mask. Isabella gasped in surprise, then snapped her mouth shut. Marian had taken up with the outlaws, and as such Isabella expected that she would take part in whatever Robin was doing. But why had she come to Locksley, of all places?

"What are you doing?" she asked in a strained whisper. "Are you the Nightwatchman?"

[not_a_maid]

She had expected that look of surprise from Isabella just like she had expected it from anyone else who had discovered it. After all Robin had been just as shocked by the truth. She didn't answer the first question, not wanting to really get into that if she could avoid it, but knew the second one would not be easily avoided. Besides, it was pretty obvious.

"Yes," she replied just as quietly as she quickly glanced to see if anyone was coming this way. Luckily they didn't seem to be just yet so perhaps she would have a chance to get into the forest. "I can't stay out in the open for too long like this."

Especially if there was a risk Isabella would bring attention to them. She would rather be in the forest if that happened.

[elle_isabelle]

Isabella copied Marian's gesture, looking around the corner of the building. No one, thankfully.

"I should have guessed," she whispered as she turned back, a small grin on her face. She had so many questions suddenly--why? how? how long? Had Guy known?--but Marian was right. They couldn't just stand around and gab like this.

"Can you come into the forest for a moment?"

[not_a_maid]

Marian quirked an eyebrow at that, wondering if it was that obvious. Perhaps it was only obvious now that Isabella knew the truth. Many assumed it was a man doing this so they would never expect her which had worked well for her. She had managed to do this for years with only a handful of people knowing the truth. And for the moment it seemed like she could trust the woman in front of her not to tell others about what she had discovered today.

"Yes," she replied softly then glanced around them once more. She was quick to get into the forest and walked until they were within the cover of more trees just so no one could glance in this direction and witness them. When she came to the area where she had left her clothes she finally dropped her hood and pulled away the scarf.

"I can trust your silence, can't I?"

[elle_isabelle]

Isabella followed Marian into the cover of the forest. They didn't have to go far before they would be out of sight and earshot, but would still be able to see what was going on in the village.

Marian's question took her by surprise. "Do you still doubt me?" To tell the truth, she was a little hurt. She supposed it was justified--after all, she was Guy's sister, and she had little to gain from keeping Marian's secrets--but she had kept every confidence that had been given to her.

"If it is because I haven't been able to find out what you've asked yet, I apologize. It's been . . . difficult to find time to speak privately with Guy." Guy had been busy taking over the duties of the absent Sheriff, and Thomas--or his whims--had monopolized most of her time. "But yes, of course you can trust me. I think it's marvelous."

[not_a_maid]

"There are not many I can trust without even the smallest of doubts." The only people she completed trusted were her father and Robin and they were the only people she ever had completely trusted. As trustworthy as Isabella had proven so far that did not mean she would not slip up. The identity of the Nightwatchman was rather desired and Marian was aware of that. It had been that way since she took it up.

"Only a handful of people know the truth. And I would like to keep it that way." And of course it went without saying that if anyone found out Isabella knew the truth if she was ever outed as the Nightwatchman then she would be severely punished but the other woman was already taking that risk by helping Robin.

[elle_isabelle]

"I understand," Isabella replied. And she did. That was the way Nottingham was. She wished that weren't the case, though. She should probably take it as a sign of how much Marian already trusted her that she had revealed herself in the first place.

"I won't tell a soul. You have my word." Isabella spoke earnestly. "Guy doesn't know, does he? Does Allan?" She wanted to be sure she didn't slip up in front of them.

[not_a_maid]

"Guy does not." Thank god he didn't. Though she wondered how her being with Robin could possibly have not gotten back to Guy by now. Perhaps soon it would and things would seem a little more official. She didn't want to go back to the castle and couldn't but the sooner others knew the truth the better in her eyes. "Allan...Allan knows but I would rather he did not know that you do. It is already risky enough with him knowing without him being aware he is not the only one."

It was one of the few things that had her thinking about how Allan may be feeling about being in the castle. After all he had the chance to make things better for himself by telling them where camp is and who the Nightwatchman is but he hadn't. Not yet anyway.

[elle_isabelle]

Isabella nodded. What a tangled web! Curious, that Allan knew such a valuable thing, and yet had not told Guy. She wondered briefly if he were saving it for a time of need, or if some lingering loyalty to Robin remained. Not that those two things were completely exclusive.

"He does not know I've had contact with you. It will keep things cleaner, if he knows nothing." It would be hard, though; Allan was one of the few people she could open up a little with.

She realized, suddenly, that she had seen no sign of other outlaws. "Are you here alone?"

[not_a_maid]

"You cannot trust Allan no matter the situation. So yes, it is better that he knows nothing." She found it difficult to trust him given the fact he had betrayed the gang for coins. That was not the image of a trustworthy man in her eyes. She understood how stuck he may feel but he had had the chance to tell the truth many times before he was outed and clearly he did not know where to place his loyalty.

"Yes. Robin does not even know I am here." And she was fully expecting him to get rather high and mighty if he discovered even though it was not like she was the only one who left to do something alone.

[elle_isabelle]

Isabella kept her mouth shut about Allan. Perhaps it was true, but it seemed difficult to reconcile with what she knew of him. Better not to test it with Marian's safety.

"Robin doesn't know? Are you keeping it from him?" Isabella caught herself. "Forgive me, I should not pry. It just surprises me, that's all."

[not_a_maid]

"He knows that I do this, he just thinks I stopped when I joined the gang." He would probably get annoyed whenever she came back to the camp if he discovered that was what she was doing. But it was not like she was the only one going off on her own. "Which I do not want to do. I have been helping far longer than Robin, I will not let that help drop."

She was a sign of safety and security to some and although she did not want to be relied on she refused to leave those in need of help.

[elle_isabelle]

"Have you really? I didn't know." She smiled, impressed and amused that Marian had had a secret identity for so long. Robin had been back at least a year, maybe two? Isabella didn't entirely understand the draw of it--she gave alms at church and helped if she was asked and thought that sufficient--but she admired Marian's independence. Envied it, even.

"Why should you give it up, just because some things have changed? You certainly seem like you know what you're doing." Isabella nodded toward the guards, who were just visible through the trees. They were leaning against the wall of the manor-house, with no clue that only yards away was a very wanted outlaw.

[not_a_maid]

"Yes. Just about five years." Had it really been that long? She didn't really think about the length of time or how many she had helped she just focused on making sure she could continue to help for as long as possible. She didn't want it to become common knowledge that it was her and knew what the mysterious helper meant to some.

"Because I am able to help openly, so why do it with a mask covering my face." The way she said that made it clear she thought that was not a good enough reason for her to stop. "And I do know what I am doing. Your brother hasn't caught me after numerous confrontations, nor have the guards in Nottingham. I am far more discreet than Robin ever is."

{OOC: I'm assuming five years since s1 it was 3, s2 it would have been 4 then with us moving on in years it would be about 5 XD}